Meditations collected and ordered for the vse of the English colledge of Lisbo by the svperiovrs of the same colledge.

THE THIRD CHAPTER, Of our Sauiours child-hood ond education till his Baptisme.

THe holy Euangelists haue left little, or no∣thing to vs of our Sauiours actions till his age of thirty yeares, vvhen he began to teach and preach, except his flight in to Egypt, and returne from thence; his losing himselfe in Ierusalem, and his sinding in the Temple; and lastly his returne to Nazareth, his liuing in obe∣dience vnder his parents, vvith his increase in age and grace before God and men.

THE FIRST MEDITATION. Of our Sauiours flight in Egypt.

1. COnsider first, how truely it is sayd of our Sauiour Christ, In laboribus à iuuentu••e

mea: in labours from my youth. You haue feen the pouerty and nakednes, in vvhich he vvas borne; witnes the cold and ruinous stable of Be∣thlem: but now they are come home to Naza∣reth little also and poore, yet better, because at home; and welcomed by their friends and kin∣dred: S. Ioseph falleth to his trade, to earne bread for his houshold, the Sonne and Mother of God; the B. Virgin settleth and accommoda∣teth vvith in doore, a poore houshold stuffe for a quiet life at least, how sparing so euer. When behold a sudden & fearefull voice of an Angell, at midnight, rouseth Ioseph out of his sleep, vvith a Surge & accipe puerum & matrem eius, & fuge: arise, and take the child, and his mother and flee: but vvhither; ô Lord? to Bethlem againe? noe, you vvere there amongst your kindred and vvell vsed. To Ierusalem the royall City? no, Qui in domibus Regem sunt, mollibus vestiuntur. They that are in Kings houses are clothed in soft garments. To the furthest countryes of the East, to the late three Kings. nothing lesse; but Fuge in Aegyptum; flee into Aegypt. that barbarous nation, that oppressed you so long, and made you slaues a nation, that euer hated a lew, & vsed him cruelly; thither must be your banishment, till you heare further from me. O vvho can expresse the fright of pore Joseph? the affliction of the B. Uirgin, vvhen shee saw him come halfe distracted vvith feare to tell her of it? and yet the sudden resignation of both to the vvill and command of God?

Conclude to vnderstand at length & embrace willingly and promptly the vvayes and exerci∣ses, vvherewith God doth vse to traine vp his best seruants; not suffering them to fasten a foot in the ease and commodities of this vvorld; but raise their hopes euer vpward to himselfe: re∣member what Christ hath told thee; Non est seruus maior Domino suo; si me persecuti sunt & vos persequentur. The seruant is not greater then his maister; if they hane persecuted me, you alsoe vvill they persecute.

Consider secondly, vvith vvhat hast they de∣part away before day, without taking leaue of their neighbours and kindred; vvithout making any prouision for their long iourney; vvithout leauing order about their house or furniture, for∣cibly left behind; all vvhich vvould haue cost other gossips a fornights time: but this holy couple take care for nothing, but to saue their best iewell, that is, Jesus Christ from the hands of his enemies; for the rest they remitted all to Gods prouidence; Execunt de domo sua & de cognatione sua, they goe forth out of theire house, and out of theire kindred. And take a long iour∣ney of twenty dayes, at least, ere they enter into Egypt, going the nighest vvay; but farre lon∣ger, trauelling as they did, (as it is thought) tound about, thorough the same desart, by vvhich the Israelites had anciently passed; for feare, lest going, through peopled places, they should be descryed and stopped. Ponder novv vvho can, the toile, vvants and discommodityes

incident to such a way, so long, so barren; and to such trauellers so poore, so vnprouided, so ha∣stened with feare. O my soule compassionate at least, the B. Virgin vvith her Sonne in her armes so oft in the day tired, vvearied and siting dow∣ne; S. Iosephs care also and anguish for a bit of bread in the day, and a poore lodging in the night. O potent Infant, Lord of heauen and earth; couldst not thou vvith one of thy millions of miracles for the freedome of others, haue now freed thy parents from all these miseries?

Conclude vvith a most tender compassion of these holy pilgrimes; vvishing from thy heart thou couldst doe them any the least seruice: le∣arne of them to breake through all naturall affe∣ctions, obligations and commodities, vvhen any thing of the seruice and vvill of God comes in thy vvay: and hauing once receiued thy Christ into thy breast, fly rather into a thousand Egypts and slaueries, then hazard to lose or be robbed of him.

3. Consider thirdly; how being at length ar∣riued in Egypt, we may well say, that though their iourney vvere at an end, yet their labours and discommodities began a fresh: for if in Be∣thlem amongst their owne nation and kindred they found no better entertainment than a sta∣ble for their lodging: vvhat comfort, may vvee imagine, could they find in a nation barbarous, infidell, and a peculiar enemy to that of the He∣brews? ô my soule, open thine eyes and thou thalt see great and large matter of pity and com∣miseration,

in the space of seuen or eight yeares, vvhich, as it is thought, this their banishment endured S. Ioseph getting some small cottage or roofe to couer his head in, fell presently to his trade of carpenter, to earne daylie food for the Sonne and Mother of God: neither vvas the B. Virgin idle, but vvith her heauenly modesty, humility and gracious be hauiour, gaining fa∣uour vvith the grauest matrons of the place, got of them some worke to spin, sow, or the like; vvherwith she holpe to feed and cloth her little Iesus; vvho, as he increased in age, doubtles in∣creased also their ioy and comfort vvith his bles∣sed company: and gained amongst the neigh∣bours more loue and esteeme by his more then Angelicall sweetnes and demeanour.

Conclude to accompany in spirit & deuotion this diuine family of Iesus, Maria, Ioseph; offe∣ring and wishing thou couldest stead them in any thing: and learne of them such humility, modesty and mildnes of carriage that thou maist liue vvith, nay gaine vpon the fiercest and most vntamed dispositions, and vvay vvard∣nes that, can be.

4. Consider fourthly, how the bloudy Herod vvith neuer heard of cruelty and rage, hauing massacred all the Infants of Bethlem, and the places round about; nay, to be sure, his ovvne Sonne also; and yet missing of his intent, which vvas amongst so many, to kill Christ, fell after∣wards into infinite miseries and diseases so that vvith despaire he killed himselfe, and died euer∣lastingly.

When the Angell returning to Ioseph, bad him take the child and his mother and re∣turne home into the land of Jsrael; Defuncti sunt enim, qui quaerebant animam pueri: for they are dead, that sought the life of the child. Ioyfull ti∣dings for all, and for little Iesus himselfe, when his parents told him of it. See how they goe to take leaue of their neighbours, and those to whom they had been any vvay beholding: than∣king them for the courtesies receiued of them, and humbly asking pardon, if they had any way offended or molested them: ô vvhat heart so frozen, as vvould not be inflamed? vvhat eyes so stony, as vvould not melt into teares; at the thankes & farevvell of such Saints? no doubt but many vvere heartily grieued to lose their com∣pany; many conducted them to the tuwnes end, many gaue them some almes, to helpe them on their vvay: and vvas there none, thinke you, that kissed little Jesus vvith melting soules & filled his apron or pockets, vvith some small knekes or plummes? surely I cannot belieue, but that he had in so long time wonne vnto him the hearts and soules of many.

Conclude to leaue Egypt, that is thy vicious and inordinate affections and passions; that thou maist goe vvith thy Christ, thy Jesus, into the land of promise, take heed thou bee not left be∣hind. Fly ambition, nothing vvill bring thee sooner to ruine; Deus enim superbis resistit, humi∣libus autem dat gratiam. For God resisteth the proud, and giueth grace to the humble.

THE SECOND MEDITATION. Hovv our Sauiour vvas left in Ierusalem, and found in the Temple.

1. COnsider first, how the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph returning from the feast of Ea∣ster; for vvhich they vsually vvent vp to Ierusalem euery yeare; our B. Sauiour, beeing now some twelue yeares old, remained behind; vvho, the one supposing him to be in the com∣pany of the other, missed him not, till they came to their first nights lodging; vvhere finding him not, nor amongst their kindred and acquain∣tauce; how, doe you thinke, did these tvvo Che∣rubins, set to couer and guard the Arke of God, looke one vpon the other? vvhat amazement, what anguish, vvhat desolation oppressed their hearts? and if according to the quantity of loue, be also the measure of griefe, vvho can explicate or imagine the sad plight of his sacred Mother? sure that shee had lost her dearest Iewell, but why, where, & hovv, most vncertaine: ô how did shee (and S. Ioseph also) passe that night in prayers, teares, and sighs for her beloued? and before day hovv did she say, Surgam & quae∣ram quem diligit anima mea; I vvill rise, and I vvill seeke him, vvhom my soule loueth. but alas! Quaesiuit & non inuenit, he hath sought him, & hath not found, through all the vvayes, lodgings and streets of the vast City of Ierusalem. Novv

shee feared, Simeons prophecy vvas come vpon her; and that this vvas that svvord of griefe, should passe her thorough. one vvhile she feared some secret enemy had carried him avvay; an other vvhile, that he had absented himselfe for some misdemeanour, fault, or vnvvorthines of hers &c.

Conclude vvith a most tender compassion of this distressed couple: pity the poore Uirgin, novv tired, and not able to dravv her legges af∣ter her; vvithout meat, drinke, or sleepe, for two dayes and nights, together; and yet hourely vvith lesse and lesse hope of finding him, than at the beginning: vvish from thy heart••, thou couldst giue her any good tidings of her sonne, and learne of her to beare vvith patience and re∣signation all afflictious and discomforts, vvhich God shall giue thee.

2. Consider secondly, how our B. Sauiour foresaw very vvell the great griefe, his absence vvould cause in the tender heart of his mother, and felt in himselfe no doubt, a most filiall com∣passion and pity for her: yet vvith diuine mag∣nanimity & courage, he vvould both leaue her for a vvhile in all those anguishes of à comfort∣les mother, and also breake himselfe of the na∣turall affection and duty of a Sonne; to leaue vs a perfect example, that flesh and bloud is not to be respected, when the honour of God, & the spirituall profit of our neighbour calleth an other way. O my soule, stay now in Ierusalem, in the temple vvith thy Sauiour, follow him

close, and lose him not for a vvorld: see vvhat he doth these three dayes, vvhere he eateth, vvhere hee sleepeth Behold him all the day vpon his knees in the Temple in prayer & sup∣plications to his Father; farre short was Salo∣mons solemnity, and dedication to this, Quia plus quàm Salomon hic: Because more then Salo∣mon here: at the euening he goeth about beg∣ging a peece of bread for his supper: ô at how many doores might he suffer a repulse, or a cold, God helpe thee? At night, he either reti∣reth himselfe into some hospitall for lodging, or lyeth, it may be, vvithin the Churchporch vpon some bench or stall: and yet he it is, vvho fee∣deth and clotheth the beasts of the field, & the birds of the aire; Panis hominum & Angelorum. the bread of men and Angles.

Conclude to imitate thy sweetest Sauiour, in his pouerty, humility, and feruency of prayer: offer to his Eternall Father, vvhatsoeuer he hath done, or suffered for thee, in satisfaction & ac∣complishment of vvhatsoeuer thou comest short in: let nothing take place in thy heart of Gods seruice and the good of thy neighbour.

3. Consider thirdly, how the third day the Scribes and Doctours of the lavv meeting toge∣ther in the Temple to conferre vpon points of the holy Scripture; our B. Sauiour came amongst the rest of thy young people, and children, to heare and learne. Here he began to aske que∣stions, and reply vpon the Doctours answers, vvith such vigour, prudence, and vvisedome, &

yet vvith such medesty and humility; that as by the one he astonished the greatest Clerkes, so by the other he rauished the hearts of all that vvere present. And vvhat may vve imagine vvas his dispute vvith them? it is not specified; but vve may vvell presume, that it vvas to open their eyes to see and acknowledge the true Messias: let vs therefore suppose he asked them; vvhen the Messias so long promised vvould come, for the computation of Daniels vveekes vvas novv ended; and the Kingdomes scepter vvas passed from the tribe of Iuda: vvho vvere to be his pa∣rents, poore or rich vvhat kind of Kingdome vvas his to be: in temporall riches, power and lustre; or in spirituall gifes, pouerty, meeknes & humility: vvhat vvere those Kings, that some yeares past came from the East, and enquired for the King of the Iewes newly borne; & vvhat vvas become of that King? finally vvhatsoeuer they answeréd, he shevved them: clearely out of the Scriptures and prophecies, that the Mes∣sias vvas already come, vvould they haue seen it.

Conclude vvith ioy and comfort of heart to see thy young Master begin to display the rayes of his heauenly light and truth: begge of him, that he neuer leaue thee in darknes, as he left those Doctours and Scribes.

4. Consider fourtly, how the distressed, and novv hopelesse Uirgin, hauing in vaine vvande∣red for tvvo dayes and a halfe in the search of her most beloued; shee came at length into thee

Temple, to make her prayers and deuout com∣plaints both to him and his father: vvhere ca∣sting vp her eyes, shee savv him in the midst of the Doctours, arguing & disputing vvith them. O my soule neuer thinke to couceiue the ioy, comfort, and nevv life, that suddenly reuiued & dilated the heart of this euer glorious Virgin: for as farre off as thou art from the degree of loue shee bare him, so farre vvilt thou euer come short, either of the sorrow shee suffered in his absence, or the ioy shee felt in his presence: yea some vvill preferre this before that vvhich shee had at his resurrection, because of that shee had a certaine hope and confidence, but at present shee knew not, vvhat to hope or thinke. Behold how shee embraceth and huggeth him; Inueni quem diligit anima mea, tenebo & non dimittam. I haue found vvhom my soule loueth I vvill hold him, and vvill not let him goe. Harken to her sweet and amorous complaint: Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? ecce Pater tuus & Ego dolentes quaereba∣onus Te. Sonne, vvhy hast thou soe done to vs? be∣hold thy father and I sorrvving did seeke thee. Tell vs dearest Lady, how comes S. Ioseph to be his father, and yet thou a Virgin Mother? noe humility but thine, could euer stoope so low, as to honour thy dearest spowse vvith the ob∣scuring of thy purest virginity in the opinion of men.

Conclude to imitate in euery point this search of the B, Virgin, whensoeuer thy Sauiour shall seeme to absent himselfe from thee: that

is, first to see and be sorry, for vvhat thou maist haue offended him in; then let thy search be vvith humility and perseuerance: thirdly com∣plaine vnto him with a lowly confidence; Vt quid Domine posuisti me contrarium tibi? factus sum mihimetipsi grauis &c. vvhy hast thou set me contrarie to thee? I am become burdenous to my selfe &c. lastly seeke him in the Temple, In domo orationis, in the house of prayer. And thou shalt soone find him, In medio cordis tui. In the midds of thy hart.

5. Consider fifthly our Sauiours answer vnto the complaint of his parents: Quid est, quod me quaerebatis? nesciebatis quia in his, quae Patris mei sunt, oportet me esse. VVhat is it that you sought me•• did you not knovv, that I must be about tho∣se things vvhich are my fathers? Which although those great Doctours vnderstood not, supposing none other to be his father, but Joseph, as the B, Uirgin had styled him; yet he gaue hereby plai∣nely to vnderstand, that his true and naturall Fa∣ther vvas he in heauen; vvhose seruice therefore vvas to be preserred before all respects of carnall parents, selfe ease, and content, or any corporall commodities vvhatsoeuer. O if vve could once learne this lesson perfectly of our Sauiour; to doe in all things his vvill, as he did his Fathers, and not our owne, how happily and contented∣ly should vve liue, euen in this vvorld? Hauing said thus vvith a diuine maiesty, and a sweet frowne, he presently yeeldeth himselfe vnto his Mother, and with prompt obedience and hu∣mility

goeth home vvith her: and by the way recounteth, no doubt, vnto her, the reason of vvith drawing himselfe from them in that sort: the dispute he had vvith the Doctours in the Temple; & how he had passed those three dayes and nights; promising her vvith an all-rauishing grace and sweetnes, neuer more to leaue her in the like manner: and how vvarilly did this chance & her loue force her to looke vnto him euer after, vvell knowing the treasure shee had, or lost in him?

Conclude vvith two resolutions; the one to direct thy ayme and intention, according to the vocation, God hath placed thee in, really and sincerely to comply vvith his vvill and pleasure; and prefer this euer before all other respects: the other; that hauing by Gods mercy recouered once his grace, vvhich thy sinnes had lost thee, looke to it more vvarily for the future; such treasures are not so easily recouered.

THE THIRD MEDITATION. Of our Sauiours education at Nazareth vntill his Baptisme.

1. COnsider first, how vvee find nothing vvritten of our Sauiour from his age of twelue to thirty. but onely that he went to Nazareth vvith his parents, and vvas subiect and obedient to them; Et proficiebat sapientia, & gratia, & aetute apud Deum & homines. And

he proceeded in vvisedome, and grace, and age vvith God and men. So that in preaching & tea∣ching the vvhole Euangelicall law and doctrine, he spent but three yeares, and thirty in the pra∣ctice of humility and obedience; to teach by a most efficacious example all those, that pretend to be preachers and teachers, to lay first in them∣selues the deepe and sure foundation of true obe∣dience and humility; vvithout which no other vertues are secure; and all science and eloquence but a blast of vvind. Nay S. Paul seemeth to re∣duce all the merits of Christ, vnto these two onely vertues: Humiliauit semetipsum, & factus est obediens vsque ad mortem, propter quod & Deus exaltauit eum &c. He humbled himselfe, and vvas obedient vnto death, for the which thing God alsoe hath exalted him &c. For his obedience and subiection: ô how different is the present proctice of the vvorld? how many skip into the pulpit, and leape into the chaire, before they know the A. B. C. of these, or other vertues? how many are there, vvho for thirty yeares of prelacy or command, can count three of true humility or subiection to their superiours? and yet Christ being the Creatour of all things, and monarch of the vvorld, obeyed for thirty yeares a poore Virgin and a simple tradesman; and vvould be a Master, and gouernour but three.

Conclude vvith confusion in thy heart to see, how promptly thy Sauiour hath obeyed his in∣feriours and creatures, and how scantly and im∣perfectly thou dost the same to thy Superiours

and Prelates: resolue at length seriously to ground thy selfe in true obedience and humi∣lity, Omni humanae creaturae propter Deum, to euery humane creature for God, ere thou venture to be a Prelat or Teacher: purposing from hence forward in things indifferent, to doe rather the vvill of others then thy owne.

2. Consider secondly, how great & wonder∣full vvas the humility of our B. Sauiour; vvho being a person of that dignity, as he was; whose knowledge comprehended all, that vvas in hea∣uen and earth and penetrated the secret of all hearts; vvhose vvisedome and prudence excee∣ded that of men and angells, whose power vvas ouer life and death, vvithout controll, in fine, vvhose gifts and graces were all in the highest degree: yet he could and vvould hide & couer all these talents, for so many yeares together, vvithout euer opening his mouth or stretching out his hand to preach, teach or correct any one: but in all his conuersations behaued himselfe like an honest simple young man, as others of his age and vocation; & vvas esteemed no other∣wise of his kindred and neighbours: nay some, who had heard the vvonders of his birth and in∣fancy, and had thence conceiued great hopes of him; now as farre sleighted and contemned him, seeing him not incline himselfe to any sort of learning or higher straine of conuersation, than the trade of a Carpenter and poore Mechanick. Schollers, I doubt not, vvill easily conceiue, how great humility and mortification this

was: for vvho of vs all, J pray, that is entred the alphabet of any science, or pretendeth any other qualitie of esteeme, can vpon the least oc∣casion hold his tongue or conceale it? neither thinke that our Sauiour vvanted occasions to shew himselfe, vvhere he daylie saw so much ignorance of men, and sinnes against God.

Conclude and learne this sort of humility chose rather to be a hearer then a talker, a schol∣ler then a teacher, as farre as thy state permitteth: at least giue place to thy betters and equalls to speake before thee: trie this a while, and then tell me, if it be a mortification or no.

3. Consider thirdly, the daylie exercise and ocupation of our Sauiour, from his child hood vpward to the estate of a man; & thou vvilt find a most large and delicious field of spirituall sweetnes & deuotion. His parents vvere poore, and without any seruant; see then vvhat fell to his lot to doe, and doubt not, but he did most di∣ligently all whatsoeuer could be expected from a most obedient and humble child: as, to couer the table, to sweepe the house, make the fire, waite on his parents, goe on errands, and the like; vvhich thou needest not be ashamed to consider in particular, as he vvas not ashamed to practise them for thee; and to that end inspired and willed his parents to command and treat him, as others vse to doe. Being now growne bigger, he takes the harchet and saw in hand, and vvorkes as a prentice to Ioseph, not for re∣cteation or complement, but with full iourneys,

and daylie toile, to helpe his parents to earne their bread; and S. Ioseph being dead, then was he to vvorke harder to maintaine his mother. Stand ô my soule, and vvith all the Angells and Povvers of heauen, behold vvith amazement this great and Primus fabricator mundi, the chiefe maker of the vvorld, swearing now to make a house, a stoole, a forme: this great Pastor who feeds the birds of the ayre, subiect himselfe to Adams curse, Comedens panem suum in sudore vultus sui. Eating his bread in the svveat of his face.

Conclude vvith shame of thy owne pride, who being a poore worme, and for thy sinnes vvorthy of no higher place then the bottome of hell, expectest nothing lesse, then to be waited on, and treated vvith all respect and esteeme; scorning to put thy hand to any thing, that may any vvay disparage thy bloud forsooth, breeding or authority: ô for shame at least, shake of such presumption, looke vpon thy Sa∣uiour, and sure thou vvilt neuer bristle thy fea∣thers, as thou dost.

4. Consider fourthly, how our Sauiour in∣creased in age, vvisedome and grace before God and men: in age he truly and really increased, by the same degrees as others doe; but of vvisedome and grace he vvas euer full, and so could not in∣crease in them; yet he vvent daylie shevving them more and more in his carriage, conuersa∣tion and outward exercises: as the Sunne is euer the same in greatnes and lustre, in himselfe,

yet be giueth more heat, and sheweth more light at noone, than in the morning or euening. Ovvho can consider his sweet conuersations in the day time? and those rayes of diuinity, which at times fell from him, and rauished the hearts of all? or his prayers and contemplations in the night? and all to teach his children, that is, all true Christians to labour alwayes to increase & goe forward in the vvay of piety and vertue; De virtute in vircutem vsque ad domum Dei: from vertue to vertue vnto the house of God, for, Iu∣storum semita quasi lux splendens, procedit & crescit vsque ad persectam diem. The path of the iust. as shyning light, proceedeth euen to perfect day. To goe back in our spirituall exercises, is a most dangerous case and hardly to be recoue∣red; as greater is the fall from a high place, than from a plaine: againe it is well knowne, that it is impossible here to stand still; Recedit enim, qui non proca. iit, & qui non pretendit melior fieri, desinit esse bonus. For he goeth back vvho doth not proceede, and vvho doth not pretend to be better, leaues of to be good. If therefore vvee can neither stand still vvithout going back; not goe back vvithout danger of vtter ruine, vvhat remai∣neth, but that all, vvho hope for saluation, striue euer forward?

Conclude to doe so seriously, both to imitate thy Sauiour, and to secure thy owne saluation, but see thou doe so, Tam coram Deo quàm ho∣minibus; as vvell before God as men; that is, both inwardly in thy conscience, & out vvardly

in thy actions, and good-example: pray most heartily to thy Sauiour, that he vvill giue thee his grace to doe so

5. Consider fifthly these vvords; Et mater eius conseruabat omnia verha haec in corde suo: and his mother kept all these vvordes in her hart: for the most vvise and prudent Uirgin obserued most diligently all the actions, vvords, and pas∣sages of her Sonne, vvel knovving from vvhom, and to vvhat end they proceeded; & laid them vp in her heart, to dispense them aftervvard to the Apostles, and the Church, as it should be ne∣cessary. Who can consider almost any thing, vvhat passed betvvixt her and her Sonne for the space of thirty yeares, liuing and conuersing euer together, both day and night, vnder the same roofe, and at the same table? how oft did shee passe whole nights by his beds side in con∣templation, to see him sleep, vvhose eye euer vvatcheth ouer the vvhole vvorld? how oft did shee sit at table in a dumbe suspence, to see him feed of her dish, vvhose sight iustaines the An∣gells? how many houres did shee passe vvith him in most sweet and familiar discourse? asking him a thousand questions and receiuing from him as many instructions of the highest myste∣ries and secrets of heauen: vvhat continuall ad∣miration did shee siue in, to see alwayes before hee eyes these two, extremes ioyne and meet in so sweet a harmony, the dignity, to vvit, of his person, vvith so lowly and humble carriage & be hauiour &c.

Conclude to liue euer in the company of ihy Sauiour and his B. Mother, that is in contem∣plation of their actions and vertues, ioyntly with imitation; and shou shalt be sure of a thousand illuminations and comforts. Study also to lay vp in thy heart and memory, vvhatsoeuer thou shalt heare, read, or see good, and for thy spiri∣tuall profit; and then in time of need thou art sure to find a store.

6. Consider sixthly, how our Sauiour being now towards twenty nine yares of age, he com∣municated vnto his parents, how the time of his preaching, teaching and redeeming the world vvas nigh at hand; and this vvith more particu∣larities to old S. Ioseph, now about seauenty yeares of age; because he vvas not to liue to see and be a party in his sufferings, as the B. Virgin vvas; but to passe ouer and rest vvith his fore fa∣thers in Abrahams bosome. O vvith vvhat fee∣ling and teares did the good old man heare these things? vvhat pangs did he feele to part vvith his sweetest Iesus and Mary? and yet vvith vvhat conformity to the will of God? how did he aske them both forgiuenes and pardon for the offen∣ces he might haue done them, and the small ser∣uice he had performed for them? ô my soule thinke and discourse a little, vvhat might passe betwixt three hearts so inflamed and vvounded vvith mutuall loue and tendernes; and I know thou canst not, but by he thine eyes in teares of compassion. The old man dravving to his end, vvith hands & eyes sixed on his present Sauiour,

and begging of him his last benediction and ple∣nary indulgence, gaue vp most sweetly his hap∣py soule into his hands: vvhich he receiuing sent it presently by the hands ef many Angells into the resting place of the old fathers: and vvith his his owne hands & the helpe of the Virgin Mo∣ther, shrowded the holy and virginall body, and vvith the accustomed rites and mournings laid it in it's graue &c.

Conclude vvith the best affections thy deuo∣tion can afford thee: begg of all three, that they vvill be by thee at the houre of thy death: and receiue thy poore soule into their protection; conceiue a speciall deuotion to S. Ioseph for doubtles it cannot but much auaile and profit thee.